Your Diet Guide

You probably are not surprised that most people do not get enough fiber. In fact, 9 out of 10 Americans are not meeting the recommended amounts. A lack of fiber results in irregularity of bowel movements, but there are also numerous health benefits to getting your daily dose.

How much?
Men 50 and under: 38 grams daily
Men 51 and older: 30 grams daily
Women 50 and under: 25 grams daily
Women 51 and older: 21 grams daily

What is it?
Fiber is found in plant foods, and it is actually the part of the plant that your body does not digest or absorb. Full Article…

Childhood obesity may increase the risk of the common cold, according to a new study that found children with the cold antibodies were markedly heavier.

Childhood obesity could be linked to a certain strain of the cold virus, new research shows. Researchers found that children who were infected by adenovirus-36 (AD 36), the virus that causes the common cold, were 50 pounds heavier than children who had not been infected by the virus.

The study examined 124 children who ranged in age from 8 to 18 years old. Each participant was tested for the presence of antibodies that fight against AD 36 in the blood.

Full Article…

New evidence exonerating saturated fats as a cause of heart disease continues to accumulate.

We have already reported on a meta-analysis that looked at almost 350,000 subjects in 21 studies to assess the correlation between saturated-fat consumption and cardiovascular disease. The conclusion: Intake of saturated fat was not associated with an increased risk of heart disease or stroke (American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Jan. 13, 2010).

Likewise, a prospective study from Australia, which looked at adults over a period of 15 years, found that people who ate the most full-fat dairy products had a 69 percent lower risk of cardiovascular death than those who ate the least.

Full Article…

  Sleepless and sedentary? Instead of counting sheep in a field, try running through a meadow.Experts agree that an aerobic exercise routine during the day can keep you from tossing and turning at night, even if they’re not sure why.”The bottom line is we really don’t know why people tell us that exercise helps them sleep,” said Dr. David Davila of the National Sleep Foundation.”But if people are normally active, reaching their aerobic goals, chances are they will sleep the right amount for what they need.”Davila, who practices sleep medicine in Little Rock, Arkansas, said the low-grade sleep deprivation suffered by many time-pressed, under-rested Americans has a cumulative effect.”People have more car accidents and what they call ‘presentee-ism’, or poor performance, at work,” he said. Full Article…